Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-01
USING THE TYPEWRITER
Greater Speed blamed by Che Writing
Machines i'm Receiving the As
seciated Press Report.
Tho Scheme Not in Favor for Private Mes
..g.,-o,rrator.' Short Hand Methods
in Sending News Matters.
New York Tribune.

taking copy. A number of obstacles have
been in the way of its use in general tele-
graph Offices. The chief trouble. mas
been that it has been impossible TO teach
the receiver to take the messages as
quickly by typewriter as ne could Dy the
old manuscript system. This Is the cnlei
reason why the telegraph companies nave
not adopted the system.
A receiver who could translate au cour-
ant the Morse characters and put theih on
The type writer was so rare U1at ne COIL
manded price far above that OF the
usual operator. Under these clrcuui-
stances it was losing Investment lot the
telegraph com 1any. The companies, now
ever, made thorough test OF the system,
and, according to the manager IL one OF
the companies centering in Chlca9o, louhc
it Inadequate. While in great many
places it was possible to take messages
by typewriter, yet in the greater numorr
of cases many obstacles were IN
the way. For instance, In the
hoard or trade the operator found that ne
could not use the typewriter. The con-
tinuaI hubblb necessitated the closest at
tention, and he could only catch the true
meaning of his ticker when his ear was
close to the instrument. In case IKE
this the u.s. of the typewriter is out OF the
question.
1t has been found, moreover, that no
time is saved. At present hrSt-class
receiver can just about equal the speed OF
frst-class sender. Any increase on the
aart of the one or the other counts for
little unless his fellow can find means TO
increase his speed. By the Typewriter
message can be taken more quickly IMAM
BY the 10 system of writing, but as the
sender of the message-the "pltcher, as
the slang phrase js-can transmit tne
message no faster there il in reality no
gain of time. For these reasons The
Western Union and othercompsnles, after
thorough test of the typewriter III tele-
graphy, have abided by the old manuscript
system.
Iu the transmission OF press dispatches,
however, the typewriter has long piaSea
an important part. One year ago lSst
June the Associated Press decided 10 use
the typewriter Instead OF the stylus. Ine
Associated Press, by the way, has 10 MAKE
manifold copies of telegrepaic dispatches
for the use of the daily press. 1t found
the type-w writer better for several reasons.
In the first place the copy turned out was
better. Copy, by the way, Is q slang term
in use IL newspaper offices. 1t was
invented by Be min Franklin, VINO
invented also electricity and the republic.
1t is supposed to mean manuscript ready
for the printer. In the case Of the type
writer the copy, of course, comes out dis
tinct and unvaried. Again, manifold
copy is easier made.
In writing with the stylus, as the cid
"a,
of muscular exertinn to make an impress
sion on eight sheets of paper. With
typewriter it is almost as easy to print a
dozen sheets as one. One expends lit
tie more physical energy. The Chief
advantage, however, is that the receiver
can stake" a great deal more rapidly.
While by the writing system a tirst-ciass
operator can take but forty FIVE words at
most, by the use of the typewriter he can
take sixty-five words easily. As has been
ssid, the sender can "give" but forty five
words, the same number that the old-1ssn-
Toned receiver can take.
To obyiate this difficulty and increase
the speed of transmission system OF alb
brevlation has been introduced. Thus, ii
the sender in New York wishes to tele-
graph TO the Associated Press agent in
Chicago that "May flower beat Galatea this
afterno on," he sends the following dis
patch: "Ntwr bet Cite is p. m"
1t takes him as long 10 send this by the
Morse alphabet as 1t does the receiver to
write it out on the typewriter On this
alone DEEPER Dis the advantage OF the type
writer. The receiver can take siXty-tive
words minute on the Typewriter, while
his fellow can ante out in manuscript only
forty-fve. In other words, he gains
twenty words minute, and by the sys-
TEN of abbreviation the sender can equal
his speed At present the Associated
Press uses the machine in its CtficeS in
Washington, Baltimore, New York, Pnila-
delphia, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Columbus, ONO, Detroit, Chicago, ST.
Paul, Kansas Ciy, Minneapolis, Louis
vile, Nashville, Memphis, Indianapolis
and ST. Louis.
The telegraph companies do not seem
inclined to bring it into use for business
messages IN the first place the cost OF
the material of the machines is an impor-
tant item, and, again, larger wages would
have to be paid man who combined the
arts of telrgraphy and type-writlng taan
to q simple operator.
Doubtless rs soon as the type wrlser
comes into general use in telegraphy
number OF Improvements and conven-
fences will be added. One very notable
addition has been made within the last
few days. This IS the connection of the
odoneter with the typewriter. BY
spring lever the odometer is INJECTED
with the space-bar of the typewriter, and
every time the bar is struck a point Is
registered Ga the ,Gial. In this way an
automatic count of the number OF words
in dispatch is made, as the space is
touched sitter each word. The odometer
is the registering Instrument that,has been
in use for the last few years on carriages
and BICYCLES. II is connected with the
wheel, and marks point for every
revolution. By reckoniEg in the e!rcum-
ference of the wheel the distance travelled
is easily ascertsined. ItS application to
che typewriter is of undouoied edVan-
tsge, but at present there is one olihenity
tkat must be oyereon ITO na4ke 1t tAor-
o6s!hly useful. The odometsr is not aad-
Unstable 1t starts in al one and runs to
one hundred thousand. Thus II as
patch of 1870 words is received the dial
marks these figures. When the pext dis
patch eegiUs to come in the, Gdometef
starts az this number and counts on. In
order to get the length Of the seSnnd Or
third dispatch a tsdions bic Of aritametic |